Wednesday, 27 July 2011

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint by Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson that L'Oreal adverts were "misleading", because the faces of actress Julia Roberts and model Christy Turlington had been airbrushed to make them look perfect. The ASA has banned these ads (title link). The retouching artist is an unsung hero in the battle to present female facial perfection on the covers of magazines and in adverts. His work is everywhere. So the ASA ban must have come as a bit of a shock to L'Oreal. But it is one thing to strive for perfection and another to make cosmetics look more effective than they are. For "We're worth it" read "Your bank accounts are worth it".